Gerbera

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Gerbera
is a genus of ornamental plants from the sunflower family (Asteraceae). It was named in
honor of the German naturalist Traugott Gerber.

It has approximately 30 species in the wild, extending to South America, Africa and tropical
Asia. The first scientific description of a Gerbera was made by J.D. Hooker in Curtis's
Botanical Magazine in 1889 when he described Gerbera jamesonii, a South African species
also known as Transvaal daisy or Barberton Daisy.

Gerbera species bear a large capitulum with striking, two-lipped ray florets in yellow,
orange, white, pink or red colors. The capitulum, which has the appearance of a single flower, is
actually composed of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies
depending on their position in the capitulum. The flowers can be as small as 7 cm (Gerbera
mini 'Harley') in diameter or up to 12 cm (Gerbera ‘Golden Serena’).

Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers.
The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a
cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera
viridifolia. The cross is known as Gerbera hybrida. Thousands of cultivars exist.
They vary greatly in shape and size. Colors include white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. The
center of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several
different colors.

Gerbera is also important commercially. It is the fifth most used cut flower in the
world (after rose, carnation, chrysanthemum, and tulip. It is also used as a model organism in
studying flower formation. Gerbera contains naturally occurring coumarin derivatives.